Large-scale oceanic circulation and larval recruitment of the spiny lobster Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804)

Abstract

The most important populations of the spiny lobster (Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804)) in the Atlantic are found in the Caribbean and along the Brazilian coast. Field studies covering the waters off the Cuban archipelago and Brazil have improved our understanding of the importance of oceanic circulation to larval recruitment. South of Cuba, puerulus settlement is intensive in October and November when the coastal reefs (83°W) are impacted by a cyclone-anticyclone pair, suggesting this area is the main source of retention and supply of surviving larvae, thus of self-recruitment. On the continental shelf of Brazil, puerulus settlement takes place throughout the year, but two annual peaks have been identified: one in March-April and one in July-September, when retroflection eddies of the North Brazil Current are more intense and feed into the eastward-flowing North Equatorial Countercurrent. Conceivably, Brazilian spiny lobster larvae are trapped in this oceanic system, leading to self-recruitment. On the continental shelf of Brazil the larval period lasts 6-7 months, depending on the season and spawning date. In the Caribbean the period is reported to be 6-8 months. Information on the relative abundance of early-stage spiny lobster larvae makes it possible to predict patterns of recruitment of pueruli and juveniles and the timing of their life cycle. However, further research on seasonal variations in local currents, current retroflection and ring formation is needed to clarify important aspects of larval transport, puerulus settlement and recruitment. RESUMOAs principais populações de lagosta (Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804)) no Atlântico são encontradas no Caribe e ao longo da costa Brasileira. Os estudos de campo que cobrem as águas ao largo do arquipélago Cubano e do Brasil têm melhorado nossa compreensão da importância da circulação

Puerulus settlement forecasting in a harvest strategy evaluation of the rock lobster fishery in South Australia

“…We found that puerulus settlement in the Northern zone of South Australia peaked in some years, interspersed by periods of lower settlement, which suggests that settlement was driven by environmental factors that cause high variation in settlement, such as ocean currents (Cruz et al, 2015;Griffin et al, 2001) and wind strength (de Lestang et al, 2015;Groeneveld et al, 2010;Linnane, James, et al, 2010).…”

“…We found that puerulus settlement in the Northern zone of South Australia peaked in some years, interspersed by periods of lower settlement, which suggests that settlement was driven by environmental factors that cause high variation in settlement, such as ocean currents (Cruz et al., 2015; Griffin et al., 2001) and wind strength (de Lestang et al., 2015; Groeneveld et al., 2010; Linnane, James, et al., 2010). To ensure fishery sustainability, harvest strategies should conserve recruitment pulses within spiny lobster fisheries, particularly considering the extended larval phase of the species (Linnane et al., 2013; Plagányi, McGarvey, et al., 2018).…”

Interconnected marine habitats form a single continental-scale reef system in South America

“…However, the NBC also curves back to the east (reflects) between July and December around 6–8° N (as shown in Fig. 1 ) shedding eddies and rings that may flow eastward, possibly helping to interconnect the reef environments 70 , 71 . In this scenario, the SAC hard substrates effectively constitute stepping-stones between ARS and ERS, providing adequate substrates for at least some species, aiding larval dispersion, ontogenetic migration, and small-scale movements of adult animals, which are key processes connecting Western Atlantic reef systems 45 , 72 , 73 .…”

Marine Hardbottom Environments in the Beaches of Ceará State, Equatorial Coast of Brazil

“…The MHE of Ceará are home to juveniles of many species of fish, such as the dog snapper (Lutjanus jocu) and the black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) (Bezerra et al, 2017;Godinho & Lotufo, 2010), indicating that such ecosystems have an important role in the reproductive cycle of these organisms (Eggertsen et al, 2017). Similarly, the life cycle of the red lobster (Panulirus meripurpuratus, former P. argus) and green lobster (P. laevicauda), which are among the main fishing targets in the state, depends heavily on the coastal MHE, because their life stage after larval settlement takes place in these environments (Cruz et al, 2015). Previous studies have also proposed the existence of important exchanges of matter and energy (including species) between shallow-and deep-water MHE Tavares & Carneiro, 2019).…”